I have
now had my hands round a copy for a few days and can testify that
superlatives are entirely inadequate. I love this book! This companion
not only matches, but exceeds the work of Volume
1. And with Volume 3 slated for publication in the Summer
of 2006, what we now have is one incredible body of work, on the order of Goldschmidt's
nine-volume Atlas
der Krystallformen or John Sinkankas' bibliographic
tour-de-force, Gemology.
It is such a pity that Eduard
Gübelin passed away shortly before publication, for these volumes represent
the capstone on an amazing career.

Size matters

While the original Photoatlas was large at 532 pages, Son
of Photoatlas is an even bigger boy, tipping the scales at a massive 830
pages, nearly 40% more. Sadly, just like Volume 1, the publisher
chose to stuff Cartier-quality scholarship into a K-Mart binding. This is all
the more shocking considering the extra weight that needs to be supported. The
result is a disaster, certainly not up to the fine craftsmanship we
expect from Swiss-made products.

Free the fractures

The book begins with an introductory section, where the term "inclusion" is
defined. One item that struck me as a bit odd was the statement on
page 18 that "An inclusion
is any optically detectable irregularity other than a crack observed
within a gem material." This concept is driven home on page 23,
where the caption for a deliciously iridescent fracture
in a Brazilian aquamarine baldly states that
"it is not an inclusion."

Huh? If that baby ain't an inclusion, then
what the heck is this cheap trollop doing prancing across the page,
absent even the slightest modicum of shame?

And what of the topaz on page 16? How
can cleavage that gorgeous ever be considered a "flaw?" Why have
we allowed these optically delectable irregularities to become the pariahs
of the inclusion community? How can we sit idle while virtually the entire
inclusion population cavorts across the internal world – absent any
and all restraint – and
then allow the authorities to slap a burka on
just fractures and other free-spirited breaks?
What's next, witch burning? I say free the fractures, free the fractures!

History, etc.

An extremely brief section is devoted to the history of inclusion
research. This reviewer would liked to have seen the section
fleshed out a bit further, since it provides only brief mention
of the work of a few early researchers such as David Brewster,
and entirely ignores that of those like al-Biruni and others. A
more comprehensive bibliography would also have been a nice touch.

The book continues with an extremely useful
section describing both microscopic techniques and analytical methods
before diving into a number of chapters on individual gems. The former
might have benefited from some additional diagrams and illustrations.
While these drawings are present in Volume 1, a few here would
have been a welcome addition.

Who would have imagined that the most common
mineral on the planet could be so beguiling? Feldspar, page
424.

While the text of the Photoatlas is minimal, it provides
concise and important information that substantially adds to the book's value. Quartz,
page 424.

The effects of heat treatment on zoisite (tanzanite). Page 809.

Eye candy

But I doth protest too much. The Photoatlas series is about the show, not the
tell – it's about images, and they are here in spades, some
2200 of them, page after page of beauties that left this reader
in serious down-on-his-knees-slobbering-in-admir… how-the-heck-didya-grab-that-shot… idol
worship. God how I love this book!

Synthetic and treated gems are also given
their due. Quartz, page 657.

One of the joys of
the Photoatlas series
(and much of Gübelin & Koivula's work) is that – beyond
the rigorous scientific documentation and analysis – it also
operates on an entirely different plane, that of aesthetic and stylistic
beauty. It is shocking that so few gemological books or magazines
reach for this higher goal, particularly considering the importance
of aesthetics in this field. Bravo to both authors for having both
courage and talent to mine this little-touched vein.

As evinced by the
twinned rutile above, many images stand alone as genuine works of
art. Like a fine
painting or piece of music, time spent in their presence continually
yields new revelations. While I browsed the newest Photoatlas,
I recalled the delight an image of moss agate from Volume 1 brought
when I realized – years later – what the photographer
was alluding to. Since this is an all-ages review,
I won't give away any secrets, but rest assured, Volume 2 offers
further panoramas of serendipitous discovery. Did I mention that
I love this book?

A typical page from the Photoatlas of
Inclusions in Gemstones, Volume 2, showing the
stunning imagery found betwixt its covers. Feldspars,
page 420.

Free your eyes (and your mind will follow)

Witness
just the single leaf on feldspar above (page 420), entirely representative
of the whole. Four images, each a micromasterpiece. Indeed, if this
book has a flaw, it is that so many photographs are a wee
bit small as reproduced. Hundreds deserve to be blown up to full-page
or even poster size, so we can fully appreciate their majesty.

But why waste breath
explaining the obvious. If ever there was a book deserving
of contemplation, it is this. So let us pause for a moment
to exhale banal intellect for intellect's sake, science as simpletonian yardstick, purge the very notion of precious
objects as hood ornaments of wealth.

Finished? Now inhale something different. Life. Drink deep. Let your eyes and mind awake, let them roam across the pages sucking in, rather than breathing out. Challenge your psyche with the complex beauty,
tease your heart with the sublime wonders of creation, let both join together, reality and illusion. And as
they mix, savor the joys of life and living and the beauty of our world as manifest in this magnificent piece of scholarship.

The beauty of opal is amply illustrated in the new volume.
Page 500.

This serendipitous heart-shaped hillock
in morganite graces the dedication page.

A feather for our thoughts. Fossil resin, page 812.

The iridescent aura of a stress fracture
extends outward from a solid inclusion, while an audience
of liquid droplets bows in reverence below. Beryl,
page 326.

Love, devotion, surrender

This volume is a study in meditation. With the publication of the new volumes of the Photoatlas series, gemology
will now be classed into two eras – Before and After
Photoatlas. Welcome
to the AP era. If you consider yourself a gemologist, or aspire to become one,
you must have these volumes on your shelf. It's that simple.

Postscript – Lending
a hand

As
a published author myself, I can tell you that authors' royalties
in no way offset the cost of producing such work. For example,
while this volume was nearly two decades in the making, the authors
probably earn but a few bucks per copy.

Readers have a chance to change that. Co-author John
Koivula and his wife, Kristi, are acting as a distributor for this
book through their stunning new website, microWorld
of Gems. This gives us a unique opportunity to directly support
an author. The publisher still gets their due, but by purchasing
direct, you put a bit of extra coin in the pocket of the author,
money that will help fund future work of this type.

Autographed
copies can be purchased directly through John and Kristi Koivula's
microWorld
of Gems. I highly
recommend that if you do purchase this book, you do so via the creator's
company. High-quality
Giclee enlargements of many of Koivula's photos are also
on sale there.

Bias watch

I should mention that I work with one of the authors (JK) and he
is a close friend. While you ponder that, I'll close with
this: if the publisher wants the review copy back, they'll have
to pry it from my cold dead hands.

Users may download this information for their own private, non-commercial use.

Other reproduction (text or graphics) without the express written consent of Richard
W. Hughes is strictly prohibited.

Ruby-Sapphire.com is dedicated to the free exchange of ideas on gems, gemology, the gem trade and other matters concerning the trade in precious stones and jewelry. Unless otherwise stated, opinions expressed herein are white those of Richard Hughes/RWH Publishing.